


dragons and date night [the series]

by kaylee_wolf



Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-18 02:27:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29482188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaylee_wolf/pseuds/kaylee_wolf
Summary: Clementine and Aasim reconnect after a few years and discover that they are both very different and still the same as they begin to grow closer once again.
Relationships: AJ | Alvin Jr. & Clementine (Walking Dead), Aasim & Clementine (Walking Dead: Done Running), Aasim/Clementine (Walking Dead: Done Running), Carley & Clementine (Walking Dead), Carley/Lee Everett, Clementine & Lee Everett, Clementine & Louis (Walking Dead: Done Running), Clementine & Violet (Walking Dead: Done Running)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

Clementine thought she was going crazy. She hadn't seen this guy in four years, and suddenly he's walking down the hall of the dorms. He finally spotted her and did a double-take. “Clem?”

She broke out of her stupor. “The one and only. Where the hell have you been, Aasim?”

“Working,” he replied, the ghost of a smile lingering. “And you, Miss Famous?”

Clementine snorted. “Working,” she said mockingly before grinning. “You watched my races?”

“What else would I do in my free time?” He finally allowed himself to smile. “You’re good at that, y’know?”

She crossed her arms, “A _prodigy_ , actually.”

“Uh-huh.”

She had to take a moment. “ _Wow_ , it’s good to see you.”

“Same to you.” He fumbled with the book he was carrying. “Did you get taller?”

She giggled. “Oh, you noticed? A whole inch, believe it or not.”

They continued catching up in the hall, barely noticing people who passed them by. Eventually, they migrated to Aasim’s dorm to continue. They didn’t notice the time until his roommate walked in the door.

“Oh, uh, hey.” Clementine waved, sitting back against the seat. “Uh, I’ll leave now.”

Aasim flushed. “She’s not my girlfriend. Or hookup. Or whatever.” And now it was Clementine’s turn to blush as the implication hit her. “I knew her in school. We’re just catching up.”

Both knew his roommate didn’t believe him since he just nodded and walked out anyway. Which left the atmosphere a bit awkward until Clementine broke out into laughter. She couldn’t stop herself.

She sighed as the laughter died off. “He’s not coming back, is he?”

“Probably not,” Aasim said. “Can’t believe _that_ was his first thought.”

Clementine nudged him. “Don’t worry about it. But I _do_ have to leave. Got an 8 AM tomorrow.”

“Ouch. Want me to walk you back?”

She shook her head. “Nah. I took seven years of martial arts, remember?”

She left with a quick hug and Aasim was alone in the silence. Wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but the dorm felt… empty without Clem’s enthusiasm filling the air.

\---

A couple of weeks later, Aasim woke to find a text waiting on his phone. It was from Clementine, about an upcoming race. An invitation to her next one, no less. He wasn’t about to say _no_. He had never been to one of them in person and… it was something that piqued his curiosity.

A few more days of hanging out and just catching up. Whenever they were free at the same time, they were together. And, admittedly, Aasim felt like he was being watched, but that was the consequence of being friends with someone like Clementine.

Either way, come the end of that week, he was sitting on the sidelines. Seeing her race in person was… different than over the television. He couldn’t quite place the feeling. But he was sucked into the race. He responded to every rush and movement, not with the same grace as a racer would, but he felt as though he was on the track.

Intoxicating was the right word, maybe hypnotizing. Both fit relatively well.

Despite the fact the race lasted hours, he was entertained the entire way through. Clementine won, as per usual, and her immediate reaction to seeing him after that was al practically tackle him in a hug. Even surprised, Aasim was able to keep his balance.

“Hey, you know what?” she asked, finally releasing him from her grip. “You’re my good luck charm now! That means you have to come to my next race.”

Admittedly, he was confused. “Don’t you win pretty much _every_ race?”

“Yeah, but… it _is_ nice having you here.” She grinned, now clinging to his arm. “Want to grab victory coffee?”

With no upcoming classes, there was no reason to say no. “Where are we going?”

“And ruin the surprise? No way. But you’ll like their coffee. They use way too much sugar.” She rambled on for a little bit longer before coming to a sudden stop. “Actually… before we go anywhere, want to meet the _real_ star of the show?”

Truth be told, he didn’t know what she was talking about. “Uh, sure?”

“Gerry will love you if you bring treats,” she said, digging through her pocket and pulling out a cube. “So as soon as you see him, give him this.”

“I’m sorry, who?”

She chuckled, placing the sugar cube in his hand. “My racing dragon. My dad got him for me fresh out of high school. He’s a bit of a brat, but I love him.”

“Does he bite?”

The question was mostly out of jest. “Just don’t try to brush him. He’ll hate you.”

“Noted.”

The walk to the barn was short and there was soon a dragon preening Clementine’s hair as she grabbed a brush. She kept telling him off, not that it did anything. She looked to Aasim and smiled. 

“Sorry about him, he’s a brat. Just need a few minutes then we can go.”

\---

[PS, this picture translates it perfectly. I drew Gerry and Clem, but props to **viccko** for that lovely Aasim face! [https://viccko.tumblr.com/ ](https://viccko.tumblr.com/) ]


	2. Chapter 2

They left the barn, Gerry throwing a fit as they did, and went on their way to the cafe. It was a small place sitting along Main Street that was practically filled to the brim. Luckily, there wasn’t a long line, so they were up at the counter soon enough.

A blond girl with an eye patch was standing there, almost glaring at the two as they approached. “Hey again. Same old, same old?”

Clem chuckled awkwardly, “Wow, I come here too much, huh? But yeah, same as always.”

“And you, sir?”

Aasim was taken aback by the sudden change in attitude. “Uh, just a coffee with sugar.”

“One or two?”

“Two, please.”

Clem smiled as the barista set to work getting their coffees. “You still have one hell of a sweet tooth. Oh! What was that old nickname I gave you? Uh… something like… ‘Simbop! After the off-brand soda you liked.”

“And ‘nerd.’ You called me that a lot.”

She snorted. “You are a nerd.”

“There was another one I hated… about llamas?”

Her grin widened ever so slightly. “Llaasim! I remember that one. It was so stupid. God, we were dumb kids.”

“Excuse you, I was a straight-A student.”

She scoffed, “You still are, Simmy.”

“Ouch, right for the jugular.”

Clementine turned back to the barista to politely thank her and pay. “So, I should call you ‘Sim? That’s more… you. Ish.”

“You’ve called me worse,” he mused, sipping at his coffee. “And I guess Clem still goes for you.”

She spotted a table and led him to it. “Yeah. If you’re feeling fancy, Clementine works.”

“Simpler than mine.”

They sat at the table for at least a half-hour, eventually ordering a few pastries and another coffee each. It was a pleasant time for them as they entertained each other with exciting details of their lives that they had left out of their previous conversations. A lot had happened over the years, so there was a lot to share on both ends.

Clementine shared mainly about her racing escapades and the places she’d been as a result. Plus a couple of updates on her brother, who was still chaotic as ever. Aasim shared what he learned on Draconic Literature, which sounded like a bunch of gibberish for the most part, and told her how his childhood dragon was doing. Clementine didn’t care that she barely understood what he said, she was truly just happy to hear his voice.

After they finished up at the cafe, they burned daylight by walking around town. They stopped by a few shops, just to window shop. The casual conversation was akin to a date, not that either would notice. Or mention if they did.

"Hey, 'Sim," Clementine said suddenly. "I'm visiting my parents during the upcoming break, you have plans?"

He shrugged. "Nothing yet. Why?"

"You wanna come with? They miss seeing you. Plus, AJ's been asking me about you every time I call." She adjusted her hat and scarf as she waited for an answer.

Aasim took a breath, watching as the freezing air created a fog in front of him. "Sure. They still live in the same place?"

"Yep. You know them, they don't like change. And then AJ came around, so they had an extra reason." Quietly, she rubbed her hands together to warm them up. "But, yeah, they'll be happy to see you!"

He nodded as a store window caught his eye for a moment. "It'll be a nice change of scenery."

"Glad you think so," she mused. "It's nostalgic, I'll give it that. But… it's pretty boring otherwise."

“It can’t be that bad. I remember it being fun!”

She snorted, “We were stupid kids, it was going to fun no matter what.”

“Jeez. Is the library still there?”

Clementine nodded, smiling. “Mrs. Mellman still runs it and everything.”

“Wow. How old is she by now?”

She couldn’t help but giggle. “She would never tell and you know it.”

“Speculation is fun.”

And now she was on the edge of hysterics. “Oh my god, you really are a nerd.”

They left for campus after a couple of hours walking around and chattering about their memories of their hometown. They were almost hesitant to leave each other’s sides when they reached the dorms, for fear that this would all be a dream (despite the fact they spent literal days in each other’s company).

Clementine hesitated for a moment before reaching forward and squeezing him in a tight hug. It was brief, but anyone could see the affection she held for him. No words needed to be said to communicate the fact she was afraid he’d leave all over again.

“See you tomorrow,” she said quietly, hesitating before she left.

Aasim felt practically the same. However, he was able to push it aside much faster than she was. He stepped into his dorm, surprised by a tiny dragon launching itself at his shoulder. “Whoa, what’re you doing here?”

“Well, someone had to bring her over.” The voice was familiar. “Look, dude, she tried to rip my face off yesterday, I can’t keep her at my place anymore.”

He furrowed his brow. “Louis, you never  _ had _ to keep her.”

“I know. She missed you and it was time to return the only one who understood me. And bit me.” Once Spark had settled comfortably on his shoulder, he went to sit down, offering a drink of water to Louis. “Nah, I have to go. But enjoy!”

He left in relative silence, which was odd. Louis was never quiet. But… it was nice to have Spark back, even if she had tried to bite the shit out of someone. “Guess you’re back with me now, huh. I was only gone for a few days!”

The dragon grumbled and snuggled closer to him.

“Yeah, I know. I really have to get you to stop biting people.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A girth is a piece of tack used on horses, NOT ANYTHING ELSE. Please don't think I'm dirty-minded, there's just NO good way to put the words in the same place.

Clementine was busy that morning. It was hard on her, but she knew what she signed up for. Another group project was assigned, along with a solo one. At least the work was split. But it meant she had less time to spend with her friends. Okay, mainly Aasim, but she had more than him.

Louis was someone else she knew from school, though they kept in touch throughout the years. He was entertaining. And very good at piano. So they usually studied together so that they could keep each other on track.

However, today was not one of those days.

“So, wait, you guys went for coffee, walked around town, came back to campus - all together, might I add - and it  _ wasn’t _ a date?” Louis asked, disbelief plain in his voice.

Clementine rolled her eyes, taking down a couple more notes. “No, it wasn’t a date. We just wanted to catch up.”

“Dude, it’s been over a week. You should be caught up by now.”

She sighed, half disappointed. “A lot has happened, okay?”

“Uh-huh. Sure.” Louis turned back to his piano, digging through his music books. “And tell me, how does he take his coffee?”

She knew it was a trap. It was an obvious one. And she still fell for it. “...With double the sugar the shop uses.”

“See! Denial at its finest.”

She huffed, going back to her books and ignoring his other questions. She wasn’t about to sit there and act like she wasn’t hoping, but they both knew Aasim and Louis could have a bit of a loudmouth. Plus… they  _ were _ just friends.

As her pen scribbled on the paper, she could feel Louis’s stare as he looked over her shoulder. At first, it was ignorable. After five full minutes, she threw herself around.

“What?”

He smirked. “ _ Nothing _ .”

It was mocking. Not necessarily bad, but still mocking. “Louis. Drop it.”

“Who, me? You know I don’t drop things.”

She sighed. “Aasim and I are  _ staying friends _ .”

“You don’t want to! Why must you be so dense about feelings?”

He was right. But she wasn’t going to tell him that. Not when she didn’t know that herself. “I’m not dense!”

“Yes, you are.” He shook his head solemnly. “One of the worst cases I’ve seen.”

The study session was not as productive as she was hoping. She only got through one part of her project in three hours. Usually, she could get through a couple of parts at that point. However, she blamed Louis. He was the one who insisted, not her.

Well, at least  _ something _ got done. It could’ve gone worse.

And now she had a slot of free time. She decided to visit Gerry while she could, considering how clingy he wanted to be. The poor guy was just too big to be brought about to the dorms, so she tried to spend a few hours a week with him.

However, after running into Aasim and learning he was also free… she wanted to let that plan fall through. Determined to be stubborn for the right thing, though, she instead decided against it. Not that she didn’t figure out a solution.

“You want to watch me practice?”

If she didn’t know better, his eyes lit up. “Really? Sure.”

“I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t serious.”

They chatted as they made their way to the pastures. It was peaceful and she enjoyed it. Gerry, on the other hand, was  _ not _ happy that this guy was showing up with  _ his _ human  _ again _ . He tried to throw a tantrum, but Aasim had brought treats, leading to the dragon ignoring him in favor of trying to attack.

As she brushed the dirt off and starting putting tack on, they continued talking.

“Break starts after your due date for the projects, right?”

She nodded, throwing the saddle over the dragon’s back. “Yep. Which sucks.”

“It’s not too far away.” Silence for a moment while Clementine adjusted the gear. “How’s your family doing, by the way?”

She tightened the girth, making sure it wasn’t going to slip. “Other than telling me to visit every time I call? They’re doing good. AJ is finally making some friends and my dad is back to teaching.”

“Where’d he start up?”

“Uh, the community college in the town over. He says it’s nice.” She rechecked the tack to make sure it was all properly in place. “My mom is still doing her reporter thing. She’s due for a promotion once my break is over, actually.”

He watched as she circled the dragon one last time before turning to him. She hesitated for a brief moment.

“Do you want to try?”

Aasim was concerned at the thought. The creature didn’t even like him. “Are you sure?”

“He’ll be fine as long as I don’t leave you two alone.” She smiled. “Come on, don’t you trust me?”

He was still fairly skeptical. “I don’t trust him.”

“Gerry behaves when I tell him to. And I would never leave you two alone, so he won’t be an issue.” She held out her hand, waiting to see if he would take it. “Just a few minutes. Please?”

He couldn’t say no. After all, just a few minutes wouldn’t hurt. Hopefully.

“Fine. Just a few.”

Her grin could’ve lit up the sky. He took her hand and let her lead him to the spare helmets. She looked at the gallery of them, still holding his hand, before picking one out. “Here, this one should fit. Let me help you.”

“I can do it just fine.”

She ignored him, standing on her toes to reach properly. “It needs to be on properly or you can get hurt. Just let me.”

He knew that she was too stubborn, so he let it go. There was no fighting her on something like this. She tightened the chin strap and nodded to herself. The dragon was  _ not  _ happy about this arrangement, but he dealt with it. Mostly because he was given snacks as a reward.

“You swear he’s not going to kill me?”

She laughs and grabs his hand one more time. “You two will be just fine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A girth is a piece of tack used on horses, NOT ANYTHING ELSE. Please don't think I'm dirty-minded, there's just NO good way to put the words in the same place.


	4. Chapter 4

Once in the saddle, Aasim realized how uncomfortable this was. He’d never ridden before. However, Clementine was there to direct him, so it was a bit more bearable. Only a bit. Her smile as she told him how to hold the reins was bright, almost blinding.

Once they started moving, though, all that reassurance was gone. “Clem, are you sure this is a good idea?”

“Gerry taught AJ the proper way to ride,” she replied gently. “He’s gentle as long as you are.”

He wasn’t completely sure, but he was going to trust her. It was still a bit nerve-wracking, though. “Just-”

“Don’t let you die. I got that one covered.” She glanced back at him, grabbing his hand comfortingly. “Just a few minutes.”

He sighed and let her lead them out of the stables. She took them to a small area filled with gravel. He could see the worn ring on the edges of the enclosure. Gerry perked up at the sight of it. “What are we doing here?”

“Just walking you around. Then you can go around once by yourself.” Clementine adjusted his hands on the reigns, patting Gerry gently. She could see how nervous he was. “Speaking of going, I need to rent a trailer. Remind me to do that after I submit my projects.”

He just nodded. “Yeah, sure.”

“Oh yeah! Someone bought the farm just down the street from my dad’s. They bought Gerry’s mom and got him as a surprise. So they let him stay there while I visit.” She walked slowly, almost in sync with the dragon’s gait. “I could tell you wanted to ask, so…”

They finished a lap and she let them go. Aasim stayed quiet even though he was screaming internally. She felt bad, but… it was somewhat entertaining.

“He’ll follow the path,” she mused, watching as he grew more nervous by the second. He was stiff and anxious, but she found it endearing.

It took just a few minutes for them to make it the full way around. At that point, Aasim was stuck since he didn’t know how to get down, which made it ever so awkward.

“Clem,  _ help _ .”

She giggled. “Take your feet out of the stirrups, lean forward, and slide off the left side.”

“You’re a horrible person.” He followed her instructions, wobbling once he hit the ground. “I am never doing that again.”

Clementine rolled her eyes. “Well, it’s my turn now. Watch and learn, amateur.”

“Rude.”

The two didn’t speak about much other than riding. He asked a few questions, she gave a few answers, and then silence ensued. Once a couple of hours had burned away, Clem had put Gerry back into the stable, him trying to groom her hair, and was visibly tired.

“I think I’ll head back to the dorms and sleep for the next… four hours.” She slipped her hat back on her head, her helmet hanging on the wall. “Shit, I need to work on my projects too…”

Aasim smiled as she rubbed at her eyes. “Why don’t you get some sleep then we can study together?”

“That sounds a lot better than my plan.”

The curiosity got to him before his sense could. “Which was?”

“To pull an all-nighter… again.” Clementine pushed her hair out of her face. “Don’t even try to lecture me.”

He still crossed his arms. “Clem, you’re going to hurt yourself one of these days.”

“And you’ve done worse,  _ ‘Sim _ .” She wasn’t exactly angry, but the annoyance was clear. Perhaps it was how tired she was. “Besides, I’m going with your plan. I’ll be fine.”

He quirked a brow. “Fine. But, seriously, no all-nighters. They’re bad for you.”

“One condition,” she replied, a small smile gracing her cheeks. “More study sessions. I think you’ll be a better study buddy than Louis.”

Aasim tapped the ground with his foot. “Sure, why not. But you’re in charge of scheduling.”

“You are evil.” Despite the fact she acting hurt, there was still a grin. “But, I’ll save the lecture for after my nap.”

“Go get some rest. At _ least _ three hours, Clem.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yes,  _ dad _ .”


End file.
